Will Martin Lopez be on this tour?

[SSJ2 Vegeta]

He missed the last two tours...will he be able to play on this tour? With me going to the NYC show (*Is not trying to show off* ), and hearing that they're trying to get some screens and whatnot, it would be awesome to see ML play.

 

[dew]

Don't think so. There's no word, so that most likely means he's still out.

 

[SPLASTiK]

I missed the last tour because I was out of town.

It was the 3rd tour in a row without Lopez in Vancouver, BC. Hoglan's filled in twice and then Axenrot on the last tour....

 

[thEDrizzle]

I know martin was in the states early on in the sounds of the underground tour 2005. I saw some pics from july and he was there, i saw them in L.A. in august and he wasn't. bullshit, missed him by 1 month, buuuulllshit!

 

[Liquid Diamonds]

I missed the last tour because I was out of town.

It was the 3rd tour in a row without Lopez in Vancouver, BC. Hoglan's filled in twice and then Axenrot on the last tour....

Did you see them with Hoglan? How was that? I love Gene, he's possibly my other favourite drummer, but his style is very differnet to Lopez's. How did he get on?

 

[SPLASTiK]

Did you see them with Hoglan? How was that? I love Gene, he's possibly my other favourite drummer, but his style is very differnet to Lopez's. How did he get on?

Yeah, I saw them in 2004 with Hoglan and the Sounds of the Underground with Hoglan. In 2004 they played a few Damnation songs with the drum tech then Hoglan came out for two heavy numbers.

They said when rehearsing at soundcheck Gene nailed The Drapery Falls in one take and took two takes to get Demon of the Fall. He learned them the day of the show too as he was called the night before, they even had to go buy a copy of My Arms, Your Hearse for him from a local metal store because they didn't have a copy on the bus

 

[neuroticandroid]

i think someone has said this before, but i think it needs saying again. the main thing we as opeth fans can do is not worry about whether lopez is going to be doing shows any time soon, but that his medical condition improves so that his family and friends have less to worry about. if you're religious, say prayers for the guy, if not wish him well. just don't worry wheter he's still in the band, i'm sure if it came downn to it, it would be martin's decision to leave, mikael and the others wouldn't boot him out because of poor health.

 

[all_sins_undone]

Wow...Gene is pretty great then.

 

[SSJ2 Vegeta]

i think someone has said this before, but i think it needs saying again. the main thing we as opeth fans can do is not worry about whether lopez is going to be doing shows any time soon, but that his medical condition improves so that his family and friends have less to worry about. if you're religious, say prayers for the guy, if not wish him well. just don't worry wheter he's still in the band, i'm sure if it came downn to it, it would be martin's decision to leave, mikael and the others wouldn't boot him out because of poor health.

I'm not worried about Martin being kicked out of the band. Knowing that he is able to play reassures me that he is in good health, that's why I ask.

 

[The Evil Toucan]

Gene IS great, but Opeth imo wouldn't be Opeth without Lopez. His jazzy drumming approach to playing metal as opposed to just blasting away is a part of their current sound as much as anything. Not that they should never have blastbeats in their songs, cause if they did it'd be fuckin cool

 

[Liquid Diamonds]

Yeah, I saw them in 2004 with Hoglan and the Sounds of the Underground with Hoglan. In 2004 they played a few Damnation songs with the drum tech then Hoglan came out for two heavy numbers.

They said when rehearsing at soundcheck Gene nailed The Drapery Falls in one take and took two takes to get Demon of the Fall. He learned them the day of the show too as he was called the night before, they even had to go buy a copy of My Arms, Your Hearse for him from a local metal store because they didn't have a copy on the bus

Hoglan is a legend. The man just owns the kit. I'm not surprised it took him so little time to nail those songs. I'm also not surprised that he didn't play the mellower numbers. That's just not what he's good at. His drum work on some of Devin Townsend's albums is far from spectacular. He needs a heavy number so that he can tear right through the kit.
Also, at them having to buy a copy of their own record!

 

[Great Old One]

Well, I'm from Spain, Opeth came here this December and I met Martin Mendez before the gig started. I asked to him (he is Uruguayan and speak spanish very well like me!) about Lopez and the status of him in the band, Mendez told me that he was a lot better of his illnes (almost like he was fine) and that the permanence of Lopez in the band depends only on himself, it's his decision.

Well this words scared me a lot, and the expresion of the face of Mendez too, because it seemed to me that Lopez is not going to rejoin Opeth...I dont know, I hope Lopez return because Axe sucks! He slowed the tempo on ALL the songs they played!! EVEN "CLOSURE" was slowed down.

Well, that's all I know folks, its first line information. I want Lopez back, but I feel he is not going back...

 

[MasterOLightning]

I wouldn't say that Axe sucked, but I agree that some songs (When) needed to be just a bit faster.

 

[SSJ2 Vegeta]

Well, it's good to hear that it is entirely Martin's decision to come back and not because of his illness.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Mendez told me that he was a lot better of his illnes (almost like he was fine) and that the permanence of Lopez in the band depends only on himself, it's his decision.

That's probably teh best news on this topic we've got yet. I'm glad he's alright. If he comes back, awesome, if not, then he is still a drum legend.

 

[affinityband]

Id love Lopez to read all this great stuff we are sayin about him. He is awesome and shouldnt not be in opeth.

 

[affinityband]

I wouldn't say that Axe sucked, but I agree that some songs (When) needed to be just a bit faster.

Actually ive got a bootlegg of when, from the recent tour and Axe plays it so that the song is only a couple of seconds shorter than the real version. too be honest he plays it pretty accuratley to the album version.

 

[evildave]

Fair play to Axe for stepping in and doing a satisfactory job but satisfactory is all it is. I've not seen Opeth live with Lopez and have only seen them once (the last London date) but having just watched Lamentations, I was blown away by how great they are with Lopez. He is an esseential part of the Opeth sound and feel from MAYH onwards. With Axe they were slow and sounded a bit dull and lifeless, I'm terrified to admit. It was cool to hear and see the other 4 members in front of me on a stage but after seeing the DVD it is clear to me that I haven't really seen Opeth live.

Put it this way - I won't be going to see them again with Axe behind the kit, no disrespect to the man, but that's not what I want from Opeth. You just can't easily replace the groove and life Martin gives to the music.

All the best, Lopez! We love ya. You rule.

 

[opeth8]

Don't you think Opeth would have announced Lopez returning to the skins ?

I wonder if we'll ever see him again ???

I'm glad I saw him on SOTU. I believe the Lowell show in July was one of his last. I put Lopez at #2 on the Opeth depth chart. He is amazing.

Get Well Soon ML

 

[Great Old One]

I saw Opeth with Lopez when they toured for Deliverance, before Damnation was released.

It was incredible, the work with the cymbals was amazing, and the double bass and that stuff. I remember "Advent" blowing up the stage.

Now with Axe is all different. Ghost of Perdition was almost at slow motion, I thoought "this is the Matrix, Bullet-Time!" WTF.

Axe maybe is a good drumer but not a good replacement for Lopez. I hope Lopez to come back, but I dont think so...But Axe is not the man, we need somone else, somone that can play when with the original tempo and play Closure with that kind of sound that only Lopez can bring to us.

Lopez eres el mejor, vuelve hombre, te necesitamos. Aupa Uruguay!